Racerchaser
03-05-2009, 12:12 AM
By Mike Leone
Pulaski, PA…The FASTRAK Northeast Late Model Touring Series is set to embark on its third season of action and co-directors Vicki Emig and Mike Leone have announced the tentative 2009 schedule of events.
Thus far a record 15 events make up the slate consisting of nine speedways throughout western Pennsylvania, eastern Ohio, and northern West Virginia. Currently there are eight $1,200 to-win $150 to-start shows, five $1,500 to-win $175 to-start mains, and two $2,000 to-win $200 to-start events in addition to the $2,000 to-win Night 1 of the Grand Nationals at Mercer Raceway Park on October 3.
“We can’t express how excited we are about the upcoming season,” stated Emig. “The schedule has just come together wonderfully and we really have to thank the tracks and racers for believing in this concept. All of our nine weekly-sanctioned tracks have just been super to work and coordinating these dates so we can maximize car counts.”
The 2009 champion will again receive a minimum of $5,000 to-win.
In 2007, an approximate $10,000 point fund was paid. That number rose 50% in 2008 to an approximate $15,000 point fund. A minimum of 10 positions will be paid with the goal of expanding the paying positions to 15 if the majority of the events are completed.
The 2009 season will kick off on Saturday, April 25 as new weekly-sanctioned member, Tyler County Speedway in Middlebourne, West Virginia hosts their first ever Northeast Touring event.
It will happen in an exciting manner as the tops will be coming off for the first time ever in this topless event as part of the track’s 15th annual “Topless 50”!
The Memorial Day holiday will give racers two events in close proximity. Sharon Speedway in Hartford, Ohio will host their first ever event on Saturday, May 23 and two days later across the border Mercer Raceway Park brings back the “Steel Valley Memorial Day Classic”.
The Roaring Knob Motorsports Complex will hold their first ever event on Saturday, June 27 in the scenic area of Markleysburg, Pa. Roaring Knob and track owner Ron Brutt is excited to bring FASTRAK on a weekly basis in 2009 along with the Touring stars to his beautiful facility.
After a stellar event that saw Bobby Powell hold off Mike Pegher, Jr., which played in front of a packed grandstand, the FASTRAK Late Models head back to the Expo Speedway as part of the Trumbull County Fair in Cortland, Ohio on Wednesday, July 1.
McKean County Raceway will hold their first of two events on Saturday, July 11. The East Smethport, Pa. fairground raceway has been part of FASTRAK since its inception and the Touring events always brings out a strong field of cars.
The cars and stars of FASTRAK head next to Jim Michny’s Dog Hollow Speedway on Friday, July 17. The Strongstown, Pa. oval has continued to build their weekly FASTRAK program as they were nearing full fields on many nights toward the end of last season.
The FASTRAK Touring Series is pleased to have two shows in 2009 at Tri-City Speedway under the direction of new promoter Rich Hetrick. The first event will be showcased with the All Star Sprints on Sunday, July 19.
As the summer rolls into August, the next three events will take place in the “Wild and Wonderful” state of West Virginia. Elkins Speedway will hold back-to-back $1,500 to-win events on Saturday, August 8 and Friday, August 21. Elkins is under the direction of new promoter A.J. Rockwell and will be a weekly-sanctioned track for the first time ever.
The Saturday, August 8 coordinates well as sister Saturday night speedways Tyler County and Roaring Knob will be off for their fairs.
The Northeast Touring Series heads back to West Virginia on August 21-22 for the two-day “Coal State Classic Weekend”. After the Friday night event at Elkins, everyone will head west to Tyler County for the $2,000 to-win “Union-Confederate North-South Battle of the States”.
Wythe Raceway in Virginia will not be racing nor will Mercer and McKean to the north allowing racers from all over the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast to attend for this big event.
The second $2,000 to-win event will be next up at Tri-City as FASTRAK will be part of the “Oil Region Classic” with the World of Outlaw Late Models for the second straight year over Labor Day Weekend on Saturday and Sunday, September 5-6. This year, Tri-City will split an entire regular purse over the heat races on Saturday night.
Mercer’s second Touring event will be held with the “Western PA Sprint Championship” on September 12 one week before Sharon hosts the “Apple Festival Nationals” with a $1,500 to-win event on the 19th.
The 15-event FASTRAK Northeast Late Model Touring Series will come to a close for the third straight year at McKean’s “Fall Classic” on Friday, September 25.
“The amount of growth FASTRAK has experienced in the Northeast in pretty amazing,” expressed Leone. “We’ve come from four weekly tracks and about 60 racers in 2007 to nine weekly tracks and what we expect to be in upwards of 150 drivers in 2009.
Our Touring Series schedule has grown and become richer each season going from an average of 22 cars in 2007 to 30 cars last year and we hope to build on those numbers this year. The competitiveness of the Series was incredible last year with 10 different winners in 11 races.”
In the previous two seasons, a total of 19 Northeast Touring Series events have been contested. Dick Barton leads the list with four victories. John Lacki is second with three wins. 2007 and 2008 champions Alan Dellinger and Max Blair both have two wins along with Bobby Powell. Todd Andrews, Kyle Drum, Frank Guidace, Butch Lambert, Carl McKinney, and Mike Pegher, Jr. all have single victories.
Membership to join the Touring Series is $100 for the season. Each event has a $50-$100 entry fee depending on the payoff.
The FASTRAK Northeast Region boasts nine weekly-sanctioned tracks for 2009 with Raceway 7, Dog Hollow, Arcade, and Elkins on Friday nights, Mercer Raceway Park, McKean County, Roaring Knob, and Tyler County on Saturday nights, and Tri-City Speedway on Sunday nights.
2008 Northeast Touring Series associate sponsors were Race 1, Fame RV Center, Bullitt Chassis, Yoder’s Performance Specialty & PPC, and Fred Beans Parts.
Anyone interested in joining the Series, hosting a Northeast Touring event, or sponsoring the Series either as a tile, associate, or contingency can contact the FASTRAK Northeast office at 724-964-9300. E-mail to info@fastraknortheast.com and snail mail to 4368 Route 422, Pulaski, PA 16143. For more information, check out the FASTRAK Northeast website at www.fastraknortheast.com.
2009 FASTRAK Northeast Late Model Touring Series*
� Saturday, April 25 Tyler County Speedway Middlebourne, WV
($1,500 to-win Topless)
� Saturday, May 23 Sharon Speedway Hartford, OH
($1,200 to-win)
� Monday, May 25 Mercer Raceway Park Mercer, PA
($1,200 to-win “Steel Valley Memorial Day Classic”)
� Saturday, June 27 Roaring Knob Motorsports Complex Markleysburg, PA
($1,200 to-win)
� Wednesday, July 1 Expo Speedway Cortland, OH
($1,500 to-win Trumbull County Fair)
� Saturday, July 11 McKean County Raceway East Smethport, PA
($1,200 to-win)
� Friday, July 17 Dog Hollow Speedway Strongstown, PA
($1,200 to-win)
� Sunday, July 19 Tri-City Speedway Franklin, PA
($1,200 to-win)
� Saturday, August 8 Elkins Speedway Elkins, WV
($1,500 to-win)
� Friday, August 21 Elkins Speedway Elkins, WV
($1,500 to-win)
� Saturday, August 22 Tyler County Speedway Middlebourne, WV
($2,000 to-win “Union-Confederate North-South Battle of States”)
� Sat-Sun, September 5-6 Tri-City Speedway Franklin, PA
(Paying heats on Sat; $2,000 to-win “Oil Region Classic” on Sun)
� Saturday, September 12 Mercer Raceway Park
($1,200 to-win)
� Saturday, September 19 Sharon Speedway Hartford, OH
($1,500 to-win “Apple Festival Nationals”)
� Friday, September 25 McKean County Raceway East Smethport, PA
($1,200 to-win “Fall Classic” Northeast Championship)
- End of 2009 Northeast Touring Series -
Saturday, October 3 Mercer Raceway Park – Night 1 of Grand Nationals
($2,000 to-win)
Pulaski, PA…The FASTRAK Northeast Late Model Touring Series is set to embark on its third season of action and co-directors Vicki Emig and Mike Leone have announced the tentative 2009 schedule of events.
Thus far a record 15 events make up the slate consisting of nine speedways throughout western Pennsylvania, eastern Ohio, and northern West Virginia. Currently there are eight $1,200 to-win $150 to-start shows, five $1,500 to-win $175 to-start mains, and two $2,000 to-win $200 to-start events in addition to the $2,000 to-win Night 1 of the Grand Nationals at Mercer Raceway Park on October 3.
“We can’t express how excited we are about the upcoming season,” stated Emig. “The schedule has just come together wonderfully and we really have to thank the tracks and racers for believing in this concept. All of our nine weekly-sanctioned tracks have just been super to work and coordinating these dates so we can maximize car counts.”
The 2009 champion will again receive a minimum of $5,000 to-win.
In 2007, an approximate $10,000 point fund was paid. That number rose 50% in 2008 to an approximate $15,000 point fund. A minimum of 10 positions will be paid with the goal of expanding the paying positions to 15 if the majority of the events are completed.
The 2009 season will kick off on Saturday, April 25 as new weekly-sanctioned member, Tyler County Speedway in Middlebourne, West Virginia hosts their first ever Northeast Touring event.
It will happen in an exciting manner as the tops will be coming off for the first time ever in this topless event as part of the track’s 15th annual “Topless 50”!
The Memorial Day holiday will give racers two events in close proximity. Sharon Speedway in Hartford, Ohio will host their first ever event on Saturday, May 23 and two days later across the border Mercer Raceway Park brings back the “Steel Valley Memorial Day Classic”.
The Roaring Knob Motorsports Complex will hold their first ever event on Saturday, June 27 in the scenic area of Markleysburg, Pa. Roaring Knob and track owner Ron Brutt is excited to bring FASTRAK on a weekly basis in 2009 along with the Touring stars to his beautiful facility.
After a stellar event that saw Bobby Powell hold off Mike Pegher, Jr., which played in front of a packed grandstand, the FASTRAK Late Models head back to the Expo Speedway as part of the Trumbull County Fair in Cortland, Ohio on Wednesday, July 1.
McKean County Raceway will hold their first of two events on Saturday, July 11. The East Smethport, Pa. fairground raceway has been part of FASTRAK since its inception and the Touring events always brings out a strong field of cars.
The cars and stars of FASTRAK head next to Jim Michny’s Dog Hollow Speedway on Friday, July 17. The Strongstown, Pa. oval has continued to build their weekly FASTRAK program as they were nearing full fields on many nights toward the end of last season.
The FASTRAK Touring Series is pleased to have two shows in 2009 at Tri-City Speedway under the direction of new promoter Rich Hetrick. The first event will be showcased with the All Star Sprints on Sunday, July 19.
As the summer rolls into August, the next three events will take place in the “Wild and Wonderful” state of West Virginia. Elkins Speedway will hold back-to-back $1,500 to-win events on Saturday, August 8 and Friday, August 21. Elkins is under the direction of new promoter A.J. Rockwell and will be a weekly-sanctioned track for the first time ever.
The Saturday, August 8 coordinates well as sister Saturday night speedways Tyler County and Roaring Knob will be off for their fairs.
The Northeast Touring Series heads back to West Virginia on August 21-22 for the two-day “Coal State Classic Weekend”. After the Friday night event at Elkins, everyone will head west to Tyler County for the $2,000 to-win “Union-Confederate North-South Battle of the States”.
Wythe Raceway in Virginia will not be racing nor will Mercer and McKean to the north allowing racers from all over the Mid-Atlantic and Northeast to attend for this big event.
The second $2,000 to-win event will be next up at Tri-City as FASTRAK will be part of the “Oil Region Classic” with the World of Outlaw Late Models for the second straight year over Labor Day Weekend on Saturday and Sunday, September 5-6. This year, Tri-City will split an entire regular purse over the heat races on Saturday night.
Mercer’s second Touring event will be held with the “Western PA Sprint Championship” on September 12 one week before Sharon hosts the “Apple Festival Nationals” with a $1,500 to-win event on the 19th.
The 15-event FASTRAK Northeast Late Model Touring Series will come to a close for the third straight year at McKean’s “Fall Classic” on Friday, September 25.
“The amount of growth FASTRAK has experienced in the Northeast in pretty amazing,” expressed Leone. “We’ve come from four weekly tracks and about 60 racers in 2007 to nine weekly tracks and what we expect to be in upwards of 150 drivers in 2009.
Our Touring Series schedule has grown and become richer each season going from an average of 22 cars in 2007 to 30 cars last year and we hope to build on those numbers this year. The competitiveness of the Series was incredible last year with 10 different winners in 11 races.”
In the previous two seasons, a total of 19 Northeast Touring Series events have been contested. Dick Barton leads the list with four victories. John Lacki is second with three wins. 2007 and 2008 champions Alan Dellinger and Max Blair both have two wins along with Bobby Powell. Todd Andrews, Kyle Drum, Frank Guidace, Butch Lambert, Carl McKinney, and Mike Pegher, Jr. all have single victories.
Membership to join the Touring Series is $100 for the season. Each event has a $50-$100 entry fee depending on the payoff.
The FASTRAK Northeast Region boasts nine weekly-sanctioned tracks for 2009 with Raceway 7, Dog Hollow, Arcade, and Elkins on Friday nights, Mercer Raceway Park, McKean County, Roaring Knob, and Tyler County on Saturday nights, and Tri-City Speedway on Sunday nights.
2008 Northeast Touring Series associate sponsors were Race 1, Fame RV Center, Bullitt Chassis, Yoder’s Performance Specialty & PPC, and Fred Beans Parts.
Anyone interested in joining the Series, hosting a Northeast Touring event, or sponsoring the Series either as a tile, associate, or contingency can contact the FASTRAK Northeast office at 724-964-9300. E-mail to info@fastraknortheast.com and snail mail to 4368 Route 422, Pulaski, PA 16143. For more information, check out the FASTRAK Northeast website at www.fastraknortheast.com.
2009 FASTRAK Northeast Late Model Touring Series*
� Saturday, April 25 Tyler County Speedway Middlebourne, WV
($1,500 to-win Topless)
� Saturday, May 23 Sharon Speedway Hartford, OH
($1,200 to-win)
� Monday, May 25 Mercer Raceway Park Mercer, PA
($1,200 to-win “Steel Valley Memorial Day Classic”)
� Saturday, June 27 Roaring Knob Motorsports Complex Markleysburg, PA
($1,200 to-win)
� Wednesday, July 1 Expo Speedway Cortland, OH
($1,500 to-win Trumbull County Fair)
� Saturday, July 11 McKean County Raceway East Smethport, PA
($1,200 to-win)
� Friday, July 17 Dog Hollow Speedway Strongstown, PA
($1,200 to-win)
� Sunday, July 19 Tri-City Speedway Franklin, PA
($1,200 to-win)
� Saturday, August 8 Elkins Speedway Elkins, WV
($1,500 to-win)
� Friday, August 21 Elkins Speedway Elkins, WV
($1,500 to-win)
� Saturday, August 22 Tyler County Speedway Middlebourne, WV
($2,000 to-win “Union-Confederate North-South Battle of States”)
� Sat-Sun, September 5-6 Tri-City Speedway Franklin, PA
(Paying heats on Sat; $2,000 to-win “Oil Region Classic” on Sun)
� Saturday, September 12 Mercer Raceway Park
($1,200 to-win)
� Saturday, September 19 Sharon Speedway Hartford, OH
($1,500 to-win “Apple Festival Nationals”)
� Friday, September 25 McKean County Raceway East Smethport, PA
($1,200 to-win “Fall Classic” Northeast Championship)
- End of 2009 Northeast Touring Series -
Saturday, October 3 Mercer Raceway Park – Night 1 of Grand Nationals
($2,000 to-win)